Menlo Park gets lucky – but not three homeowners

Much of the coverage about the big fire yesterday on Susan Gale Court near Sharon Heights has focused on the fact that this was the biggest fire in Menlo in a long time and how it could have been another Oakland Hills if weather conditions had been windy. To news gatherers, a raging fire does make for spectacular footage. And the surrounding neighborhood has much to be thankful for in that a disaster was averted. But it’s a disaster nevertheless for the three homeowners. That fact took on more poignancy for this contributor when she learned this morning that it was one of her former neighbors who had lost her home. Fire with a personal face is a sober matter.